"Only red meat conservatism, not political correctness, will help paint the map red."

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Handicapping Those Vital Sec. of State Races Across the Nation

Forget about the House and Senate, the most important races throughout the country are the ones for Secretary of State! OK, that might be a bit of an exaggeration, but these races are much more important than most people think. Last week, we posted an optimistic analysis of the state Attorney General races. I would argue that in light of all the Democrat cheating and early voting laws, the races for Secretary of State are almost as important. If we are to ensure that our elections are to be free and fair, we must win as many of these races as possible.

George Soros realized the value these offices have in stealing elections, so he created a new 527, the Secretary of State Project (which is funded by his "Democracy Alliance") to focus on these election while nobody was paying attention. During the past two election cycles, Soros successfully installed like-minded radicals as SOS in Ohio, Minnesota, Iowa, Montana, Missouri, West Virginia, Nevada, New Mexico, and Oregon. His most prominent coup was in Minnesota, where he helped elect Mark Ritchie, the man who helped Al Franken turn an election night vote deficit into a surplus.

We cannot be complacent and make the same mistake this year. If we let Soros take over these vital positions, our electoral victories will be meaningless. As Soros's hero Joseph Stalin once said, "The people who cast the votes decide nothing. The people who count the votes decide everything." Let's take a look at the electoral landscape of the Sec. of State races.

Every state has a Sec.of State, except for Alaska, Hawaii, and Utah, in which the Lt. Governor performs most of those duties. 35 of the 47 offices are popularly elected, while the remaining 12 are appointed by the Governor, State Legislature, or state courts. Thanks to Soros, there are currently 27 Democrats, 19 Republicans, and one Independent (in New Hampshire). 26 of the 35 elected SOS's are up for election; 15 Democrats and 11 Republicans. Of the 11 Republicans, there is nobody who is particularly vulnerable given the geographical landscape and the political environment. However, there are a few races that we need to keep an eye on. There are at least eight Democrat offices that we can conceivably flip. In addition, there are several incumbent Democrats from states where the Governor or state legislature selects the SOS. We have a good chance of picking up state houses and legislatures in those states and by extension, SOS offices. Here is a list of the most important ones to watch.

Republican Held Offices

Michigan

Republican Terri Lynn Land has held this office for 8 years and is term limited this fall. The candidates are Republican state rep. Ruth Johnson and Democrat Law Professor Jocelyn Benson. Benson is as radical as they come. She is endorsed by the LGBT caucus, worked for the SPLC, and is being backed by the Secretary of State Project. Johnson is a solid conservative and most polls have her up between 8-12% over the Democrat. With the Republicans slated to swamp the Dems in the top of the ticket race it is hard to see us losing this one. However, Benson has a lot of cash from leftist organization, so you might want to help Ruth Johnson put this one away.

South Dakota

Incumbent Republican Chris Nelson is term limited from running for a third term. Republican state Sen. Jason Gant and Democrat state Sen. Ben Nesselhuf are vying for the open seat. I haven't seen any polling data, but the Republicans are poised for massive landslides on the Senatorial and Gubernatorial races. As with Michigan, this should be a safe bet, but it is the other Republican seat that Soros is challenging. It is also important to note that in SD, the Secretary of State is the authority for issuance of concealed weapon permits. Gant has been outspoken about the Democrats longtime cheating on Indian reservations, and needs some more money to keep him on top.

Democrat Held Offices

Arkansas

Democrat Charlie Daniels has served for 8 years and is term limited, leaving us with a prime pick up opportunity. Democrat Pulaski County Clerk Pat O'Brien and Rep. Mark Martin are running for this office. A poll out a month ago had Martin up by 11. Republicans are going to run the table in Arkansas, except for the Governor's race. However, the Dem. Governor is a popular incumbent, while this office is open in a strong conservative year. Martin is being outspent, so let's send him some $$$ and pick-up this office.

California

Incumbent Democrat Debra Bowen is running for a second term and is being challenged by former NFL player Damon Dunn. Bowen is regarded as the most radical SOS in the country and has the support of ACORN and Soros's group. This is a tough one but Dunn has matched Bowen in contributions and if we can somehow pull out victories at the top of the ticket, I wouldn't be surprised to see this office flip. You can donate to Damon Dunn here.

Colorado

Democrat Bernie Buescher was appointed by Gov. Bill Ritter in 2009 to replace Republican Mike Coffman who became a congressman.He is another radical who is being backed by Soros and is being challenged by Republican Scott Gessler.The most recent poll from Magellan Strategies has Gessler up 6.Gessler addresses all of the radical left's proposals to steal elections on his website.This race might hinge upon the top of the ticket races. You can donate to Gessler here.

Connecticut

Three term Democrat Susan Bysiewics vacated her post to run unsuccessfully for Governor.Democrat state House Majority Leader Denise Merrill and Republican Commissioner of the State Department of Consumer Protection Jerry Farrell are running for this office. Merrill is another radical who is endorsed by the SEIU and NARAL. Farrell has been up on the air with effective ads and has been endorsed by some of the big newspapers in CT. There are several close House races in addition to the big Senatorial and Gubernatorial races. We have an outside shot at this one.

Iowa

First term Democrat Michael Mauro is running for another term and is another well financed SOS who is backed by Soros. Mauro has pushed same day registration voting in Iowa. The Republican candidate, Matt Schultz, is one of my favorites this election cycle. Despite being heavily outspent, Schultz has run a hard charging campaign on illegal immigration and voter fraud. He has put up some great TV ads, like the one in which he says, " vote early, vote often might be the Chicago way (showing a backdrop of Obama), but it is not the Iowa way." He is pushing to ban same day voter registration and require photo ID. The only poll in this race had Schultz up 3 in late July. He should get a lot of help from the top of the ticket landslides. Matt Schultz would be a great candidate to send some cash. I sincerely hope that he runs for Senate one day.

Kansas

This is the most high profile SOS race in the country. Republican Ron Thornburgh resigned this post to run a failed bid for Governor. The Democrat Governor appointed Chris Biggs, a fellow Dem. The Republican candidate is the illegal immigration conservative hero Kris Kobach. Kobach has had a hand in writing almost every tough illegal immigration law including Arizona's SB 1070. He also is running a campaign against voter fraud encouraged by the Democrats. Despite the efforts of the media to paint him as a controversial figure, most polls have him up between 20-30%. Good luck to any Democrat who plans to win statewide in Kansas this year, as this will be a sure pick-up for us. I really hope that Kobach runs for higher office some day. You can donate here.

Minnesota

Mark Ritchie was one of Soros's biggest victories when he got him elected in 2006. Ritchie is an extremist who was instrumental in turning Al Franken's election night vote deficit into a surplus. Republican state. Rep. Dan Severson is hitting him hard on voter fraud. This is one of the most important races and Severson is being outspent, so he could use some donations. I haven't seen any polls, but this might be a little tough because the Republican Gubernatorial candidate has been running slightly behind.

New Mexico

Democrat Mary Herrera was elected four years ago with big help from Soros. Republican state Sen. Dianna Duran is challenging her but is in serious need of donations. With enough support, she might be able to ride the coattails of Suzanna Martinez who will probably be the next Governor of NM.

Ohio

Incumbent Jennifer Brunner vacated the office to run unsuccessfully for Senate. Democrat Maryellen O'Shaughnessy and Republican State Sen. Jon Husted are competing for this open office. There are some questions among conservatives about Husted's commitment to conservatism based upon his record in the legislature. However, he will definitely be superior to the Democrat as she is backed by Soros. Husted has raised millions of dollars and the polls show this race to be close. If the Republicans have a huge sweep in Ohio, is is hard to see him losing.

Wisconsin

Dem. Incumbent Douglas LaFollette has held this office for decades. The Republican, David King is a pastor and political neophyte. However, he received three times as many votes as the Democrat. With the Republicans running strong up and down the ticket, King has a surprisingly decent shot at winning.

States with Appointed SOS's

Oklahoma

The office is currently held by a Democrat because she was appointed by a Democrat Governor eight years ago. With the GOP poised to gain the statehouse and the term for SOS set to expire this year, we should pick up this seat by proxy of the Gubernatorial election.

Maine
This office is held by a Democrat, but is appointed by the state legislature. There is a nice chance that we will pick up the Governorship and state Senate this year, causing some change in who will replace him.

The bottom line is that these offices are vital in defending the integrity of our elections. Liberals are trying to get non citizens and felons to vote. They are also trying to implement same day registration laws, as well as automatically mailed ballots prior to the election. Also, the position of SOS is often used a s a stepping stone to grow a farm team for those who will run for higher office. Many SOS's have gone on to run for Governor and Senator over the years. As this election is slated to provide us with historic opportunities, let's swing for the fences and cede nothing to the left.

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About Me

Yes, indeed there are red meat conservatives in the blue state of Maryland. I work in public policy and am involved in Maryland election campaigns. Also, a Contributing Writer to Redstate.com. We'll be providing you with legislative updates, Annapolis news, electoral politics, and exclusive political commentary from an unapologetic conservative viewpoint.